Wire-fence stretcher.



U. L. DAVIS. WIRE FENCE STRETUHER. APPLICATION FILED HAB' 27, 1908.

901,891. Patented oct. 2o, 190s.

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c. L. DAVIS. WIRE FENCE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION' FILED MAR 27, 1908.

Patented 0ccv.2o,1908.

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Snowdon UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE CLAUDE L. DAVIS, OF DORAN, VIRGINIA.

WIRE-FENCE sTREToHER.

T all whom 'it 'may concern.'

vBe it known that I, CLAUDE L. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Doran, in the county of Tazewell, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Fence Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to .make and use the same.

This invention has relation to a new and useful improvement .in wire stretchers.

The object of my invention is, to provide a simply constructed hand tool for clasping the loose ends of fence, telegraph, trolley, and like wires, or the ends of finished fence fabrics, for the purpose of holding and ing them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing' the stretcher' in use with the lever at one limit of its movement. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the lever in its intermediate position. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 2. Fig. l is an edge elevation of the lever with the chain in section. passed therethrough. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the pawls, and Fig. 6 shows a top view of the securing collar. 1

In its operative embodiment, my invention includes a lever 1 which near one end is provided with an aperture 2 and the clamp 3. Connected to the clamp 3 is a clevis L adapted to receive a suitable collar 5 by means of which the wire stretcher may be secured to a suitable post. Secured to the lever upon opposite sides of the aperture 2 are the .spring arms 10 which have their pawl engaging edges facing one another as disclosed in Fig. 2. I have shown one of these spring arms disclosing the securing ears 12 having the perforations 13 by means of which these spring arms are secured to the lever. These ears stride the lever and are secured by means of the pins 15. As shown in the drawings two such spring arms are used and these have their ends rounded as shown at 16. These spring arms are fixed to the lever. Pivotally held between the spring arms are two pawls heads 16 of which face towards one another while their stems 17 by means of the pins 18 are secured to the lever 1. The ends of drawing them taut while stringing or secur' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1908.

the engaging Patented Oct. 20, 1908. Serial No. 423,689.

these pawls are bifurcated to provide the ears 20 having' the perforation 21 through which the pins 1S extend. The spring arms 1.0 and the pivoted pawls all extend in like direction.

In connection with my wire stretcher I use a square linked chain provided at one end with the clamp 26 engaging a suitw able clamping bar 27 to which the wire or fence fabric w is secured. This chain 25 is extended between the pawls 17 and through the aperture 2. This aperture is of such a size that the chain will freely pass through the aperture 2 within the lever. The chain employed is preferably so called bicycle chain as the same must be sufliciently strong to withstand all the strain to which the stretcher is subjected.

The operation of my device is very simple. In stretching a fence fabric for instance the lever is secured by means of the collar to a suitable post a while the chain 25 by means of its connected clamping bars is secured to the fence fabric The chain 25 is then carried and directed between the pawls 17 the lever 1 being held in a vertical position. In this position the uppermost pawl is directed into one of the chain links within which it is gravitally held. The lever then has its lower end rocked towards the fence fabric so that the lowermost spring arm 10 will come into engagement with the pawl from below to force this pawl into engagement with the chain in the manner disclosed in Fig. 1. Now as the lever 1 in swung in the opposite direction the upper pawl is carried forward along the upper edge of the chain, this movement of the pawl being free until near the final movement of the lever when the spring arm will be brought into engagement with its adjacent pawl to force the pawl into engagement with the chain link from above. Through this arrangement one pawl is at all times in positive engagement with the chain. The chain passing through the aperture 2 prevents the lever from tilting in such a manner that the pawls will become disengaged from the chain.

The collar by means of which the stretcher is secured to the post, as shown in Fig. 6, comprises the L-shaped member 5 to which, by means of the pin 30, the loop bar 31 is pivotally held at the other end, the collar member 5 has pivotally secured to it by means of the pin 33, the solid link 34, the end of which is held within the loop bar 31.

The pin 35 supports the elevis il. To release the wire stretcher, even when under heavy strain, it is simply necessary to knock the loop bar 31, off of the bar 44, when the stretcher will be immediately detached.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is'- l. The Combination with an apertured le ver, of two pawl-provided arms pivotally secured thereto, springs fixed to said lever, and a pliable connection extending` through said aperture and engaged by said pawls.

2. A wire stretcher having in combination, a lever, two spring arms extended in like direction, two pivotally secured pawls proximal to said spring arms, said lever being apertured at a point between said pawls, and

a Chain engaged by said pawls and passing through said aperture.

3. A wire stretcher comprising a lever having support-ing trunnions and an aperture, of two pawls positioned adjacent to said aperture, one upon each side thereof, a clevis secured to said trunnion, springs projected parallel to said pawls, and a Clampprovided Chain extended between said pawls and through said aperture, all arranged substantially as set forth.

ln testimony whereof, I afix my signa ture, in presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE L. DAVIS.

lVitnesses F. M. HURT, N. O. GILLEsPm. 

